Casket locking device



Dec. 21, 1965 J; s. ovERLAND 3,224,066

GASKET LOCKING DEVICE Filed April 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheei'I 1 I NVE NTOR. JOHN 3. OveRLA/vo Wm/mu, m,

2% Arr-LNEYS l Dec. 21, 1965 J. s. ovERLAND 3,224,056

GASKET LOCKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1962 TMEXS n United States Patent C) M hro Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 190,275 Claims. (Cl. 27-17) The present invention relates to caskets and, more particularly, to caskets having a body portion, a lid portion for closing the body portion, and a sealing mechanism for effecting a hermetic seal between the lid portion and the body portion.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improve-d casket, of the above noted type, which is economical in construction and durable, and wherein the hermetic seal between the lid portion and the body portion is reliably effected.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved casket having a locking unit for latching the lid and body portions of the casket together and wherein the locking unit has a minimum of parts which are visible and detract from the appearance of the casket when the lid portion is open.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved casket wherein the locking unit for latching the lid portion of the casket to the body portion is simple in construction and easily installed in the casket.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved casket having a locking unit for latching the lid and body portions of the casket together comprising a first latch member, a second latch member which extends through an opening in the casket and is cooperable with the first latch member upon movement of the first latch member from a withdrawn position to a latching position to latch the lid and body portions together, and a cover means for the opening which has a blocking position wherein it blocks thc opening and hides much of the first latch member from view when the first latch member is in its withdrawn position and the lid portion is open and which is moved from blocking position when the first latch member is moved to latching position, thus providing a casket of improved appearance because a minimum of the locking unit and no gaping holes are visible when the lid portion is open.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved casket having a locking unit for latching the lid and body portions of the casket together and which includes a latch means supported by one of the aforementioned portions of the casket, which latch means comprises a bracket having slots therein which receive retaining elements secured to a support plate element and a tool connection supported by the bracket and received in a resilient gromrnet which frictionally engages the tool connection, said retaining elements being positioned in the slots and the tool connection being positioned in the opening in the grommet simultaneously upon movement of the bracket relative to the support plate element therefor, thereby providing for easy installation of the latch means in the casket.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved casket, as set forth in the preceding object, wherein the support element engages a ledge and is secured thereto by an eyelet member which has a first ange portion which engages the surface of the support element remote from the surface thereof in engagement with the ledge and a second flange portion which engages the surface of the ledge remote from the surface thereof in engagement with the support element.

Further objects and advantages of the present inven- 3,224,966@ Patented Eea. 21, 1965 ICC tion will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following detailed description thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a casket embodying the present invention and having the lid portion thereof open;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the casket illustrated in FIG. 1 with portions thereof broken away and illustrating the lid portion in a nearly closed but unlatched position;

FIG. 3 is a view of the casket illustrated in FIG. 1 similar to the view shown in FIG. 2, but showing the lid portion fully closed and latched;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3 taken on the line 4 4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the casket illustrated in FIG. l; and

FIG. 6 is an expanded perspective view illustrating portions of the locking unit in disassembled positions.

The present invention is illustrated in FIG. l as preferably embodied in a casket 16. The casket 10 has a body portion 11 which may be of any conventional construction and is illustrated as having a front wall 12, a back wall 13, and side walls 14 and 15. A ledge 16 projects inwardly from the upper edges of the back wall 13, front wall 12, and side walls 14, 15 and on the uppermost side of which is mounted a marginal sealing means in the form of a compressible gasket 17. A hinged top section or lid portion 18 is pro-vided for closing the body portion and has an inwardly projecting ledge 19, the underside 19a of which engages the gasket 17 when the lid portion is closed.

The casket 10 is provided with spaced locking units 20, 2Q for locking the lid portion 18 and body portion 11 together. The locking units 2t), 21)' are simple and efficient and function to draw the ledge 19 of the lid portion 18 down into clamping engagement with the sealing gasket 17, thereby compressing the gasket 17 and providing an hermetic seal therebetween. While the casket 10 is illustrated as having and preferably does have two locking units 2%, Ztl for latching the lid and body portions of the casket together, any number of locking units necessary to provide the hermetic seal may be used. The units 20, Ztl are identical in construction and in operation and thus only unit 20 will be described in detail hereinbelow.

The locking unit Ztl comprises a first latch means 21 mounted in the lid portion 18 of the casket and a second latch means 22 secured to the body portion 11 of the casket. The latch means 22 includes a keeper or latch member comprising a T-body stud 22 having ya stem 23 suitably secured to the casket body 11 and projecting vertically therefrom with the cross 24 of the T projecting above the gasket 17 on the ledge 16 of the body 11. The latch means 21 includes latch members comprising a pair of rotatable cam hook members 25 which cooperate when rotated with the cross 24 of the T-body stud 22' to draw the ledge 19 of lid portion down into clamping engagement with the sealing gasket `17 and to lock the lid and body portions of the casket together. The cam hook members 25 have cam surfaces 25a which when the members 2:' are rotated from their withdrawn position, shown in FIG. 2, to their latching position, shown in FIG. 3, engage the under portion 24a of the cross 24 of the stud 22 on opposite sides of the stem 23 thereof. The cam surfaces 25:1 are shaped so that the portion thereof which progressively engages the cross 24 as the cam hook members 25 rotate are spaced a lesser and lesser distance from the center of rotation of the cam hook members thereby drawing the lid portion 13 of the casket 10 down into engagement with the sealing gasket 17 as aforementioned, compressing the sealing gasket 17 and providing a reliable hermetic seal be- 3 tween the body portion 11 and lid portion 18 of the casket 10.

The T-body stud 22 is secured to the body portion 11 of the casket .1@ by a suitable nut arrangement including acorn nut 3@ and hex nut 31 which threadedly engage the stem portion 23 of the T -body stud 22', The stem 23 extends vertically through an opening in ledge 16 and through an opening in support plate 3S secured to the under side of the ledge 16, which opening is in alignment with the opening in ledge 16. The hex nut 31 is located encircling the stem 23 below the support plate 35. A vsuitable washer member 36 is positioned between and engages the hex nut 31 and the body ledge support plate 35. The acorn nut Sil is positioned on the stem 23 above the ledge 16 and engages the ledge 16 with the sealing gasket 17 encircling the acorn nut 30, as shown in FIG. 4. It should be apparent that the stud member 22 may be moved vertically relative to the ledge 16 by changing the position of the nut members 30 and 31 on the stem 33 of the stud member 22. The vertical position of the stud member 22 is adjusted so that the cam surface 25a of the hook members 25 will engage the under side 24a of the cross member 24 upon rotation of the hook members 25, causing the stud 22 to pull the lid portion 18 of the casket down into sealing engagement with the body portion 11 therefore, as aforementioned, Iand may be varied to adjust the sealing pressure between the gasket 17 and ledge 19.

The latch means 21, which includesl the cam hook members 25, also includes a bracket 411 which supports the cam hook members 25 in the lid portion 18 of the casket 10. The bracket 41B comprises a base plate 41 having two spaced parallel side plates 42 and 43 extending vertically from the lside edges of the base plate 41 and having a generally triangul-ar shape with the apex thereof remote from the base plate 41. The cam hooks 25 are positioned between the side plates 42, 43 and are xedly mounted on a shaft member 44 which is rotatably supported by the side plates 42, 43 and is held against axial movement relative to the side plates 42, 43 by a retaining member 44. The shaft member 44 has an enlarged cylindrical portion 45 forming a tool connection which extends from the side plate 43 of the bracket 40 and which is provided with a tool receiving socket 46 into which a tool may 'be placed for rotating the cam hooks 25.

The portion of the shaft member 44 extending between the br-acket side walls 42, 43 is provided with flats 48 on opposite surface portions thereof- The cam hook members 25 have openings therein which correspond to the periphery of the shaft member 44 and through which the shaft member 44 extends. The Hats 48 cooperate with flat peripheral portions of the openings in the hook members 25 so that the hook members rotate with the shaft member 44. The cam hooks 25 are preferably secured together by a suitable rivet member 49 so that they will rotate as a unit in response to rotation of the shaft mem- -ber 44 by a tool operatively engaged in socket 46.

Each hook member 25 is a disk-like member having a base portion 5t) and a hook portion 51 which is connected at one end to the base portion 50 and which extends therefrom. The hook portion 51 is spaced from the base portion 5t) and forms therewith an arcuate slot 52, open at one end and closed at the end where the hook portion 51 1s connected to the base portion 5t). The cam surface '25a constitutes the upper surface of the slot 52 as viewed 1n FIG. 6 and -a detent recess 53 is formed in the cam surface 25a adjacent the closed end of the slot 52. The recess 53 serves as a seat for the cross 24 of the T-body stud 22 when the cam members 25 have been rotated to their latch position, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The bracket 4t) with the 4cam hooks 25 and shaft member 44 assembled therewith is suitably supported in the casket lid 13 on the upper surface of ledge 19. The bracket 40 is secured to ledge 19 by means of suitable retaining elements or bolts 56, 57 which are welded to a CII plate 58 positioned on the ledge 19. The bolts 56, 57 extend vertically from the top surface 6i) of the plate 53 to which the heads of the bolts are welded and the bolts 56, 57 are received in slots 61 and 62, respectively, in the base plate 41 of bracket 40. The slots 61, 62 extend inwardly from the outer edge 63 of the base plate 41 a distance substantially equal to one-half the width of the base plate 41, and extend substantially parallel to the extension of the cylindrical tool connection 45. With the bolts 56, 57 positioned in the sl-ots 61, 62, suitable nuts 64 are threaded onto the bolts and down into engagement with the base plate 41. The above mentioned triangular shape of the side plate members 42, 43 facilitate threading the nuts 64 onto the bolts 56, 57.

The support plate 58 is secured to the ledge 19 by a suitable eyelet member 70. The ledge 19 is provided with an opening therethrough and the support plate 58 is provided With an opening in alignment With the opening through the ledge 19. rlfhe eyelet member 70 is a cylindrical member having an opening 71 therethrough and spaced Iflange portions 72, 73 extending outwardly from the axis of the eyelet member 70'. The eyelet member 7d is positioned in the aligned openings in the ledge 19 and support plate 58 and the ange portion 72 tightly engages the underside of ledge 19, and the flange portion 73 tightly engages the uppermost side of support plate 58, thereby securing the plate 53 to the ledge 19.

When the latc'hing unit 21 is assembled in the lid portion 18 of the casket the cylindrical portion 45 having the tool socket 46 therein is positioned in a resilient grommet member 75. The grommet member 75 is positioned in a prepunched opening 7 6 in the front face 77 of the lid portion 1S, and is provided with a circumferential slot 78 which receives the edge portion of the front face 77 surrounding the prepunched opening 76. The grommet member 75 has a circular opening 80 therethrough which is `slightly smaller in diameter than the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion 45 of shaft member 44 which is positioned therein. Because of this difference in size the portion 45 is forced under pressure into the opening Si] in grommet member 75, which, being resilient deforms and frictionally engages the portion 45 to effect an air tight seal therebetween. However, this frictional engagement is overcome `by a tool operatively engaged in socket 46 so that the cylindrical portion 45 can be rotated relative to the grommet member 75 to rotate the cam hook members 25.

With the support plate 53 secured in position by the eyelet member 7@ and with the bolts 56, 57 extending vertically, the bracket 40 with the cam 'hooks 25 supported thereby can be easily and eiciently installed in the lid 18 of the casket by moving the bracket 40 relative to support plate 58 to position bolts 56, 57 in the slots 61, 62, respectively, and simultaneously positions the cylindrical portion 45 of the shaft 44 in the opening 80 in the 4grommet member 75. The nuts 64 may then `be turned down on the bolts 56, 57, to hold the bracket 40 in position in the lid 18.

It should be apparent that when the locking unit 20 is installed in the casket 10 and when the lid portion thereof is open the underside 19a of the ledge 19 and the eyelet member 70 are visible. A suitable cover member 85 is provided to cover the opening 71 in the eyelet member 70 so that no gaping opening is visible and so that portions of t-he locking unit 26 are not visible through the opening 71. The cover member extends between cam hook members 25 and is suitably secure-d to the ybase portions 50 thereof by a suitable support bracket 86. When the cam hook members are in their withdrawn position as illustrated in FIG. 2 the rear portions 87 of the cam hook members engage the top surface 60 of the base plate 41 and are supported thereby and the cover mem-ber 85 is positioned so that it extends through an opening 88 in the base plate 41 of bracket 40 and into the opening 71 in eyelet member 70 and thereby blocks the opening 71. The cover member 85 is constructed of any suitable material and is provided with an attractive appearance .so that the casket has a pleasant overall appearance when the lid portion 1S thereof is open.

With the latching means 21, 22 installed in the casket 1t), as above described, the lid portion 18 of the casket and the body portion 11 thereof are locked together by moving the lid portion 18 into the position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the top surface of the cross 2d of T-body stud member 22 extends into the opening 71 in eyelet member 7d and engages the cover member 85, which also extends into the opening 71 in the eyelet member 70.

When the parts are located in these positions the cam hook members 25 are rotated in a clockwise direction by a suitable tool engaged in socket 46, as above described. The cover member S5 is rotated in response to rotation of the hook member 25 out of position blocking opening 71 in eyelet member 70, and when the cover is rotated the lid portion will lower relative to cross 24 to a position where cross 24 extends through the opening 71 in eyelet member 7U and engages portion 50a of hook members 25 in which position the hook portions 51 of the members 25 can upon rotation engage the underside 24a of the cross 24 of the T-body stud 22 and draw the lid portion 18 into sealing engagement with the body portion 11. The rotation of the hook members 25 continues for approximately five-eighths of a revolution until the cross 24 is positioned in detent recess 53 in the lhook members and when so positioned the cross 24 holds the hook members in position and prevents further rotation thereof.

To unlock the lid and body portions of the casket 10 the cam hook members 25 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, to their withdrawn position in which they rest on the base plate 41 of the bracket 40. The weight distribution of the cam hook members 25 and the frictional engagement between the tool connection 45 and the grommet member 75 is such as to hold the cam hook members 25 in this position. It should be apparent that the above described directions of rotation of the cam hook members 25 may be reversed by reversing the cam Ihook members 25 before assembly.

It should be understood that the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail and that it is my intention to cover various modifications and changes in construction which come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a casket having a body portion and a lid portion for closing said body portion, locking means for locking said lid and body portions together including a first latch member supported by one of said portions and projecting therefrom, the other of said portions having an opening therein into which said first latch member projects when said portions are in closed position, a second latch member, means mounted on the other of said portions for supporting said second latch member for movement relative to the other of said portions, means for moving said second latch member relative to the other of said portions from a withdrawn position to a latching position to engage said first latch member and lock said lid and body portions together, and cover means for blocking said opening when said portions are in open position and operatively connected with said second latch member and movable out of blocking position in response to movement of said second latch member relative to said other portion from said withdrawn position toward said latching posiion.

2. A locking device for use with a casket having a body portion and a swingable lid portion for closing said body portion, a ledge connected to one of said portions and extending inwardly therefrom, said locking device including a first latch member carried by said ledge and a second latch member supported by the other of said portions, pla-te means secured to said ledge and having retaining elements extending therefrom, bracket means for stipporting `said rst latch member for movement relative thereto from a withdrawn position to a latching position,

said bracket means having linear slots extending inwardly from one edge thereof for receiving said retaining elements and said bracket means being held by said retaining elements in position on said ledge, and a tool connection operatively connected with said first latch member and carried by said bracket means for moving said first latch member from said withdrawn position to said latched position to engage said second latch member and lock said members together, said one of said portions having an opening therein, said tool connection extending parallel to said linear slots in said bracket and transversely of said retaining elements, said tool connection adapted to be received in said opening in said one of said portions and being positioned in said opening simultaneously with the positioning of said retaining elements in said slots.

3. A locking device as described in claim 2 wherein a resilient grommet is positioned in said opening in said casket and frictionally engages said -tool connection maintaining an air tight seal therebetween.

d. ln a casket having a body portion and a lid portion for closing said body portion, locking means for locking said lid and body portions together including a first latch member supported by one of said portions, a second latch member carried, a ledge portion connected to said other of said portions and extending inwardly therefrom, means providing an opening in said ledge portion, plate means for supporting said second latch member for movement relative to said other of said portions an-d from a withdrawn position to a latching position to engage said first latch member to latch said portions together, and having an opening in alignment with said -opening in said ledge, an eyelet member positioned in said first and second openings and having an opening therethrough, said eyelet member including Harige portions securing said plate means to said ledge, said rst latch member extending through said opening in said eyelet member to engage and cooperate with said second latch member upon movement of the latter from said withdrawn position to said latching position, means for moving said second latch member relative to the other of said portions to its said latching position, cover means operatively connected with said second latch member for blocking said opening in said eyelet member when said portions are in open position and said second latch member is in its withdrawn position and being moved out of blocking position in response to movement of said second latch member from said withdrawn position toward said latching position.

5. A casket as described in claim 4 wherein said second latch member comprises at least one hook member supported by said plate means for rotatable movement from said withdrawn position to said latching position to engage said rst latch member and lock said members together, and said cover means is fixedly secured to said hook member and rotatable therewith.

6. A casket as described in claim 5 wherein said means for moving said second latch member comprises a tool connec-tion operatively connected to said hook member and adapted to receive a tool for rotating said hook member, said other of said portions having an opening therein, and a resilient grommet positioned in said opening in said other of said portions to frictionally receive said tool connection and maintain said air `tight seal around said tool connection.

7. In a casket having a body portion and a lid portion for closing said body portion, locking means f-or locking said lid and body portions together including a first latch member supported by one of said portions, a second latch member comprising at least one hook member carried by the other of said portions and movable relative thereto from a withdrawn position to a latching position to engage said rst latch member to lock said lid and body portions together, a ledge connected to said other of said portions and extending inwardly therefrom, means providing an opening in said ledge, plate means for rotatably spaanse supporting said hook member and having an opening in alignment with said opening in said ledge, an `eyelet member positioned in first and second openings and having an opening therethrough, said eyelet member including ilange portions securing said plate means to said ledge, said rst latch member extending through said opening in said eyelet member, a tool connection operatively 4connected to said hook member and adapted to receive a tool for rotating said hook from said withdrawn position to said latching position, a detent recess in said hook member for receiving said rst latch member when said hook member is rotated to its latching position and which holds said hook member in said latching position, cover means -secured to said hook member for pivotal movement therewith and blocking said opening in said eyelet member When said portions are in an open position and said hook member is in its Withdrawn position and being moved out -o'f blocking position by rotatable movement of said hook member from said withdrawn position toward said latching position, said other of said portions having an opening therein, and a resilient grommet positioned in said opening in said one of said portions and frictionally receiving said tool connection to maintain an air-tight seal around said tool connection.

8. A latch mechanism for use with a casket having a body portion and a swingable lid portion, supporting means connected to one of said portions and having a first opening therethrough, and a rst latch member supported by the other of said portions and extending into said rst opening when said lid portion is in its closed position; said latch mechanism comprising a second latch member, a support plate supporting said second latch member for movement relative thereto and relative to said one of said portions from an unlatched position to a latched position in engagement with said iirst latch member; said support plate having a second opening in alignment substantially with said first opening; means for moving said second latch member relative to said one of said portions from said unlatched position to said latched position in engagement with said rst latch member; and cover means connected with said second latch member and movablethereby into closing relation with said rst opening upon movement `of said second latch member 4from said latched position to said unlatched position.

9. A locking device for locking relatively movable members together comprising a rst latch member supported by one of said members, said other of said members having an opening therein through which said rst latch member projects when said members are in position to be locked, a second latch member, means mounted on the other of said portions for supporting said second latch member for movement relative thereto, means for moving said second latch member relative to the other of said portions from a Withdrawn position to a latching position to engage said rst latch member an-d lock said members together, and cover means operatively connected with said sec-ond latch members for blocking said opening and movable out or" blocking position in response to movement of said second latch member from said withdrawn position toward said latching position.

10. A locking device for locking relatively movable members together with one of the members including a ledge portion extending therefrom comprising a rst latch member carried by said ledge portion of said one member and a second latch member supported by the other of said members, plate means secured to said ledge portion and having retaining elements extending therefrom, bracket means for supporting said first latch member for movement relative thereto from a withdrawn position to a latching position, said bracket means having slots extending inwardly from one edge thereof for receiving said retaining elements and said bracket means being held by said retaining elements in position on said ledge, a tool connection operatively connected with said rst latch member and carried by said bracket means for moving said rst latch member into engagement with said second latch member, said one member having an opening therein, said tool connection extending parallel to said slots in said bracket and adapted to be received in said opening in said one member and being positioned in said opening simultaneously Wi-th the positioning of said retaining elements in said slots, and a resilient grommet positioned in said opening in said one member for frictionally engaging said tool connection to maintain an air-tight seal therebetween.

References Sited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,506,533 5/1950 Slaughter 292-240 2,728,971 l/l956 Harter 27-17 2,850,787 9/l958 Diday 27-14 3,048,435 8/1962 De Marco 27-17 3,109,662 11/1963 Bergstrom.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CASKET HAVING A BODY PORTION AND A LID PORTION FOR CLOSING SAID BODY PORTION, LOCKING MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID LID AND BODY PORTIONS TOGETHER INCLUDING A FIRST LATCH MEMBER SUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID PORTIONS AND PROJECTING THEREFROM, THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS HAVING AN OPENING THERIN INTO WHICH SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER PROJECTS WHEN SAID PORTIONS ARE IN CLOSED POSITION, A SECOND LATCH MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS FROM A WITHDRAWN POSITON TO A LATCHING POSITION TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER AND LOCK SAID LID AND BODY PORTIONS TOGETHER, AND COVER MEANS FOR BLOCKING SAID OPENING WHEN SAID PORTIONS ARE IN OPEN POSITION AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER AND MOVABLE OUT OF BLOCKING POSITION IN RESPOONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER PORTION FROM SAID WITHDRAWN POSITION TOWARD SAID LATCHING POSITION. 